Discovery
by A Mad Youkai Tea Party
Summary: When Kagome's friends forced her onto a dating app, she only agreed to get them out of her hair. Little did Kagome know, she could more than just love online.
1. Chapter 1

"Come on Kagome, just give it a try. One date with one guy."

"I know you had a bad break up, but you have to move on."

"It's been three years, that's plenty of time."

Kagome sighed as her friends crowded around her with the unwanted app ready on her phone. Break up. That was what she had told her friends when they had asked what happened to Inuyasha. It stopped the questions, and it made them give her some space while she dealt with what really happened. It was so much more simple than the truth.

It had been three years since Kagome had faced against Naraku and was forced back into the present. She had tried over and over again, jumping down the well regularly at different times and different ways. Nothing worked though. The worst part was that she didn't even really know what happened to everyone on the other side of the well, she just had to hope that everything turned out alright for her friends. It left so many questions, and she just wished she could get another chance to go back, if only once.

But her friends had a point. Kagome had spent every moment of her life recently still torn between two worlds. She studied hard at school but spent as much of her free time learning anything that would be useful in past. Even her chosen field of study, while an admiral one, was focused on healing and medicine. She practiced archery to keep her skills up, and took up other lesson in different martial arts and weapons — to keep in shape so she could still fight against youkai. Maybe it was about time she let go of the past and actually tried living in the present.

"One date. One guy. I get to pick" Kagome finally agreed, "Deal?"

If there was one thing Kagome couldn't let them do, it was pick a guy for her. The girls were nice, and she knew they wouldn't try to set her up with someone horrible, but their tastes were very different from her own. By that, Kagome meant that they tended to try and pair her with the most boring and safe guys they could find. It was nice that they wanted her with someone who would definitely take care of her, and wouldn't be likely to cheat or get into legal trouble, but that didn't change the fact that Kagome found herself falling asleep just listening to some of these guys.

"Yes!"

"You won't regret this!"

"You have to actually pick one guy though, or else we won't leave you alone."

Considering they had been pestering her about this for awhile now, Kagome knew the truth to those words. But she also knew that they meant they would choose a guy she would have to go on one date with if she didn't choose one soon enough. That wasn't going to be easy to deal with. Was it too late for her to back out now? Or would they go behind her back and set up a profile anyway, just without her to do some damage control?

Kagome sighed, "Let's just not get too carried away."

"Don't worry Kagome, we'll stay within your comfort zone" Ayumi said, "Now let's pick out your pictures."

Eri clapped her hands, "Oh, I got so many great options for pictures."

Yuka nodded, "Yeah, it's to be hard just picking five. But we'll help make you real cute."

Kagome nearly fainted from the amount of pictures Eri just happened to have that would look good on her future dating profile. There was definitely some ulterior motives coming to light behind certain outings, and Kagome had a sneaking suspicion this idea had been planned out well before they had started to bring it to her attention. Photos of her in dresses, skirts, pants, pajamas, uniforms, costumes, anything Kagome could think of. They hadn't left anything alone. And now Kagome had to pick five of them that would satisfy their demand list of what she should post: something casual, something traditional, a hobby or interest as a conversation starter, swimsuit, finishing up with something more formal.

The first photo Kagome finally paused on was one of her just walking down the street, not paying attention to the camera because she hadn't even noticed she was getting her picture taken. She wore a black, off the shoulder top with short sleeves, tucked into a high-waisted pink skirt that stopped just above her knees. In her hand was a plain drink of some kind, possibly a milkshake or something similar.

"Alright, let's go with this one first, as my casual option" Kagome stated.

"Good choice!"

The next two choices were a easier, if only because there were fewer options for her choose from. For the traditional one, Kagome tossed back and forth between a few options before finally settling on an emerald green kimono, filled with patterns of different kinds that fit a nature aesthetic. She had worn it at a festival, and in the picture she was smiling with her friends and posing for a group photo while her mother had taken the picture. Even her hair had been done up, secured back in a simple bun.

The next photo she paused on was another one she hadn't realized had been taken of her, since she had been caught up in the moment. Dressed in traditional miko attire, with her hair secured back by a white ribbon, Kagome was posed with her bow in hand and ready fire an arrow at her target. She really hadn't been willing to let the past go during those times. For a moment, she considered ditching the picture idea, but then thought on it. She really was willing to move on, so what was the harm? Besides, it would make a great conversation starter — she'd just have to keep the more ridiculous parts of that outfit out of the conversation.

"How about these two next? Would these two work for you girls?" Kagome continued.

"I love that miko one! You always looked so badass in that picture, I'm so glad that you picked it" Ayumi said.

Kagome nodded, "And then, because it was demanded, this one of me in a swimsuit."

"You need a two piece bikini specifically. Because that will get you more attention from guys" Eri said.

"Fine, I'll get one of me in a two piece" Kagome flipped through the photos, "Will this one do?"

Kagome actually hesitant to post someone of her in a two piece swimsuit. The first reason behind that was because she had so many pictures of her in her adorable one piece swimsuits, and they were cute enough to kill. So it was just a real shame all of them were ruled out in favor of the inferior two piece sets. There was also the fact that she had some scarring from when the jewel got ripped out of her, which did really look like something bit her. And some scars on her arm from when Inuyasha unintentionally harmed her while in his full youkai state. Kagome ended up picking a photo of her at the beach in a light blue with white polka dots swimming set, since the lighting made her scars a little less noticeable.

Yuka gasped, "Oh that is so cute!"

Relieved that they had liked her picture, Kagome set out to find one last one for her more formal option. The picture she selected was one where she had gotten dressed up to go eat at a nice restaurant with the girls for Eri's birthday. The dress was black, with a pink floral pattern covering it. It lacked sleeves, and was high collared so there was no cleavage window. The skirt of the dress was where the real action was. It was shorter at the front, and longer at the back, with a layering affect that made the shape of the skirt look a little bit like a flower itself. Her hair been styled as well, tossed over one shoulder. She looked pretty cute, if she said so herself.

"And we'll go with this picture of me as the more formal option. Is that alright with everyone?" Kagome asked.

"Your pictures are perfect, Kagome" Ayumi cheered.

Eri grinned, "And now we get to look at the boys."

Right. Her least favorite part of this whole experience. Kagome knew she was forgetting something.

The second the girls had started getting her to go through pictures of eligible men, Kagome decided to redefine her definition of torture. Treading through a war-torn, feudal Japan, fighting against Naraku and evil youkai, and dealing with death at every corner was nothing compared to having to justify why she wanted to turn down all the guys that came up. Kagome was starting to wonder if maybe her expectations were just set too high due spending so much time with inhumanely attractive guys in the past.

None of the guys could hold her attention, and it was almost kind of sad. But there was just nothing that really made Kagome feel like she could give them a chance at obtaining her heart. She almost considered just finding the nicest guy out of them, just to go one date to appease her friends for some time until they decided to help her once again. That was, until she saw an alarmingly familiar face with an alarmingly familiar name.

Kouga Azuma. A man who looked almost identical to Kouga of the yourouzoku.

"Woah, hold on!"

Kagome had to look at his photos. She needed to find something, anything that could prove her wrong. It had to be a coincidence of some kind. It couldn't really be Kouga. For starters, the guy was human, so that was at least something that could point to her not looking at the wolf she had known in the past. It was just unfortunate that nearly everything else suggested otherwise.

The first picture was of him dressed in a black button-up shirt with rolled up sleeves, and some jeans. He leaned against the wall behind him, arms crossed and one leg bent, with this foot against the wall. He wasn't looking at the camera, but a little bit above it, and it looked like he had been in the middle of talking with whoever was taking the picture.

It was the second picture that was most damning in Kagome's eyes. It was a group picture and a selfie, organized by a man who looked like a human version of Ginta. This Kouga was posed right behind him, with someone who looked like Hakkaku off to the side, and a few other guys all in the picture as well. Though Kagome couldn't put a name to any of them, they all felt familiar to her, she found herself wondering if they were familiar because they had been part of Kouga's pack. Then she shoved that thought back down, because it was stupid.

The next three were very simple. There was one of him straddling a motorcycle, one with a wolf painted on it as part of the design. What followed was one of him at some kind of bar, again with the Hakkaku lookalike right beside him. The final picture was of him on what must have been a hot day, as his shirt was bunched up in his hands and his skin had a sheen of sweat. His jeans sat a little low on his hips, which did give a bit of a teasing glimpse that Kagome closest friends obviously appreciated.

"Oh yum" Eri commented, "Kagome, if you don't want him, I'll have him."

Yuka hummed in agreement, "I wouldn't mind giving him something else to ride."

Well great, now Kagome had to make a choice. She could pretend that she isn't getting major Déjà vu, not say anything and potential find herself on the most awkward date of her life with a stranger who constantly reminded her of someone she considered a close friend. Or she could mention something, and have to answer the questions without sounding like a complete lunatic. Which one would be worse for her to deal with?

"I… I think I know him" Kagome finally admitted.

"What?!"

"How?!"

"Where?!"

Kagome fidgeted under her friend's gaze, "I met him a couple of years ago… he and Inuyasha didn't get along the best — they were friends, but they always competed against each other. It's been three years since I last saw him, I didn't think I'd ever see him again."

There, she said something without sounding crazy to her friends. That should be good enough, right? Her awkward and heartbreaking 'break up' should be enough for them to not want to push her for details, her friends has some respect for her boundaries and private life. All she had to do now was get through this and she'd be good. She'd be free of this whole mess she'd gotten herself into.

"Are you going to message him, Kagome?" Ayumi asked.

"I don't know. I might be wrong, he might not really be who I think he is" Kagome countered, "And that would be embarrassing."

Eri looked at the pictures, "Does he look like the guy you know?"

Kagome nodded, "For the most part."

"Is his name the same as the guy you know?" Yuka questioned.

"You could say that" Kagome finally stated.

"Then it probably is him, and you're just worrying for no reason" Eri countered, "Just send him a message and see if he remembers you. Maybe he'll be happy to find an old friend?"

Happy to find an old friend. If this Kouga was the same Kouga from the past, Kagome couldn't even begin to imagine what his reaction to her would be. Confused, most likely. But she'd probably find herself a hug that left her desperate for air afterwards, before getting a hundred questions about everything and anything. Kouga never was one to be just happy when it came to her. It was almost cute. Too bad he was kinda pushy on occasion and always picking on Inuyasha, it kind of killed the whole mood.

Kagome just giggled, "If he's who I think he is, that's going to be an understatement."

"Then message him" Yuka said.

Kagome looked at the phone in her hands, almost shaking at the possibilities. There was a huge chance that this guys was just a random stranger, and she didn't really want to deal with all that. But if this was Kouga, then she'd have a chance at finding out what happened. Not only that, but she have a friend back. A piece of her life that she had sorely missed would have returned to her. She just had to take a risk. Reaching a decision, she typed out a quick message.

"Alright, I sent the message" Kagome said, "By the way, I'm counting this as my one guy."

"So I can't have him then?"

"Eri?!"

"What are your thoughts on sharing?"

"Yuka?!"

* * *

_Sorry to bother you, but I'd like to get in contact with you. You look like a very old friend of mine._

"Fuck. Fuck" Ginta paled at his phone before turning and calling, "Hakkaku! Hakkaku get in here!"

Dating apps. Not something that most youkai that were looking for a serious partner participated in, if only because it was difficult to tell if you were talking to a human or fox just looking to play joke. But Ginta and Hakkaku had gotten desperate. Kouga hadn't been the same since Kagome had disappeared, so they had to do something to help him move on. At the very least, the dating app would allow them force Kouga into a situation where he had to talk to a girl. Even if it was just to say that she had been kinda, sorta catfished.

Or that was the plan, until a girl named Kagome Higurashi messaged Kouga claiming to be an old friend.

"Hakkaku, this is serious!"

Hakkaku groaned and sent a dubious look to Ginta as he rounded the corner, "What?"

Ginta rolled his eyes, but shifted over so his mate could sit beside him on the couch. Hakkaku leaned right in, which allowed Ginta to rest against him. It was relaxing, the scent of the one he loved helped to ease his anxiety a bit. Not much but, considering the revelation that he had just discovered, it was better than nothing. Ginta shifted his phone so Hakkaku could view it too.

"I just checked out the dating profile we set up for Kouga—"

"Seriously? I want him to move on too, but you didn't need to freak out over a girl" Hakkaku interrupted.

Ginta rolled his eyes, "A Kagome Higurashi has sent a message, interested in getting into contact with him."

"Well… Kagome isn't exactly an uncommon name" Hakkaku started.

"She looks exactly like Sis did, maybe a little older" Ginta continued, "She's a miko, has an interest in archery, and has scarring that looks like she's gone a few rounds with some youkai. I mean there's a large bite on her torso, and claw wounds on her arm."

The entire time, Ginta was pointing out the photos on the profile. This girl couldn't be much older than Kagome had been when they last saw her, and her fashion sense seemed pretty similar as well. While it wasn't exactly rare for women to be dressed as miko, even in this era, this only added more evidence that this was more than just some random girl. The bite mark of her torso looked very similar to that of some form of centipede youkai, and the claws wounds on her arm looked like they came from a humanoid hand.

Hakkaku paused, "Weird coincidence?"

"Yeah, sure. I know so many other miko named Kagome, that use bows. Oh, and she messaged Kouga saying that she's pretty sure that he's an _old friend_ of hers" Ginta said.

"Okay, so maybe it's her" Hakkaku finally agreed, "But we should at least do something to prove it first."

That was a smart idea, actually, when Ginta thought about it. While he doubted it wasn't her, it wouldn't be wise to tell a girl they haven't technically met a bunch of information about youkai. She could turn out to really just be a random girl, or a reincarnation, who had just mistaken Kouga for someone else. Again, Ginta really doubted it, but he at least getting something would stop Kouga from actually killing him for bringing this up.

"Maybe we should send her a message asking her to prove that she actually knows Kouga? If she really is who she is, then she should be able to mention something that a stranger couldn't know" Hakkaku said, "But what should we ask her?"

"There's a picture of Kouga with us, right? Ask her if she can name who we are. That should be enough" Ginta stated.

"Send the message. We'll see if this really is our sister."

Meanwhile, Kagome was sitting on her bed in her room as the girls raided her closet to pick out what she would wear on her 'date'. She had only agreed to this because she refused to allow them to take her shopping. They would find the worst thing the wear, and she wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. Not to mention that it would only make the atmosphere awkward. Still, they were determined to find something interesting in her closet, and Kagome wasn't lookin forward to it.

"Kagome, he replied!" Ayumi called.

"Oh, let's see!"

_Can you name any of the other guys in the pictures?_

"What a weird message. How many girls named 'Kagome Higurashi' does he know?" Yuka asked.

Kagome waved off their complaints, "It makes sense, trust me. Besides, I know the answer, so it doesn't matter."

It made sense that Kouga wanted to doublecheck that it was her, and this was a fast way to do it. After all, five hundred years is a long time and Kouga never really knew about the well. If no one even thought to tell him about it, then would have no way of knowing that there was a way for her to survive this long. Luckily, Kouga had picked something relatively easy, and she knew what to send him.

_Ginta and Hakkaku. I can't name the others, but they never introduced themselves and they didn't travel with you as much._

"She's really Sis" Hakkaku said.

Ginta nodded, "Which one of us is going to tell Kouga about this?"

* * *

"Hey Kouga…"

It had been a quiet day for the leader of the eastern wolf pack. No phone calls explaining how someone had massively fucked up and needed him to fix all the problems. No one had got their head stuck in anything weird that they wanted him to know about. No random youkai provoking a fight because dick measuring was still a thing, even in modern times. No, Kouga had just thought he'd get a day where he could finally focus on what he wanted to do. Just a peaceful day to relax and enjoy his place in life, despite all the sucky changes time had made in the world.

So of course, he should have expected that Ginta and Hakkaku had done something stupid to ruin his day.

Kouga pinched the bridge of his nose, "What the fuck did you idiots do now?"

"What makes you think we did something?" Ginta asked.

"You always use that tone whenever you've fucked up, and you know I am going to be pissed" Kouga replied, "Now stop stalling. What did you do?"

"You remember how we suggested you try a dating app?" Hakkaku started, "And you said that was stupid and you weren't doing that, end of discussion?"

Yeah, he did. He distinctly remembered them approaching him after he had a couple of drinks at the Foxfire Club, before asking of he'd consider letting them set him up on a date. After a 'fuck no', to which he had exaggerated because he had thought they had been kidding about the whole thing, that was when they had mentioned the app. That was when he realized they were being serious, and he sobered up rather quickly at that, making it clear under no terms he wasn't going to try dating. Not regular dating. Not online dating. And if they cared about their health, they'd back off.

So Kouga was going kill them both, "How many girls do I have to explain this horrible situation to?"

"None. It's just… we think we've found Kagome" Ginta stated.

Scratch that, he was going to torture them slowly first, "I swear, if you think this is funny—"

"This isn't a joke!" Ginta snapped, "It's Sis. We double checked and everything!"

Kouga bit back a growl, "Last time _I_ checked, humans don't live that long."

"Just look at the pictures and the messages" Hakkaku said.

Kouga snatched the phone and checked out the profile, and nearly dropped the thing when he saw her. She really looked like Kagome, and every picture only made old wounds resurface. But despite all that, there wasn't any proof in them that she was the same girl from five centuries ago. The messages were a bit more solid, but that wasn't much to go on.

"For all we know, this could be a fox in disguise with a fucked up idea of fun. Or anything, really. We can't even tell if this girl is being honest, since we can't get her scent" Kouga assessed.

Ginta shrugged, "Maybe. But what if it is Sis?"

"No one said she died, just that she was gone" Hakkaku added, "Maybe there's something here we're missing?"

"It might also explain some of Inuyasha's strange behavior. Think about it, he mentioned waiting to see her again didn't he" Ginta continued.

Kouga ran a hand down his face, "I'll go. Alone. If this is a trap, I want to slowly kill the fucker that thought this was funny. If it's not, I still might throttle you for putting me on that app."

"Here's hoping that Sis puts you in a good mood" Hakkaku muttered.

"You're making it harder to resist the urge to beat you both right this moment."

* * *

**A/N: This was meant to be a one shot. This is not a one shot. I decided to cut it here, because it was starting to get ridiculous.**


	2. Chapter 2

Kouga pulled up at the shrine addressed to him the message, his bike parked out of the way of the street but still in clear view of the steps. The shrine was surprisingly peaceful, despite it's location, and Kouga couldn't help but realize that this was the same place where Kagome disappeared all those year ago. For a moment, Kouga wondered if it was just a coincidence, but this was starting to get so specific that he began to doubt this was anything other than a trap.

Taking off his helmet, he expanded his youki to get a reaction from the area, just to test for any traps. He was swarmed by the sensation of reiki rushing over him for a moment, and he was worried that he might have just gotten himself killed. Then it settled, and he felt a kind and inviting feeling wash over him. Kouga recognized this feeling, this reiki. He had it literally stabbed into his arm at one point. There was no mistaking it. There was no way this barrier could have been created by anyone other than Kagome.

Kagome was alive.

The sound of a car approaching had Kouga turning in that direction. An unfamiliar woman existed the car and started trying to pack her groceries. Koga was about to leave her alone, until he noticed that the amount of things she was carrying left her seconds away from disaster. With speed only he could possess, he managed to catch some groceries before the spilled all over ground.

"Oh, thank you so much" the woman smiled, "I'm so sorry, but could you help me take these up the stairs? I think I can take them from there."

Kouga smiled back, "It's no problem at all. I was heading to the shrine already."

"Really? Well, if you need anything, just ask me about it. I'd be more than happy to help" the woman winked.

"I'm actually looking for an old friend" Kouga confessed, "Kagome Higurashi."

The woman sent him a curious look at that, and Kouga wondered if he had said something wrong. But it wasn't like he really cared if he sounded crazy at the moment. Kagome was alive, somehow, and Kouga needed to see her in person. He could smell her faintly in the area, he could feel her power surrounding him, but he needed more than that. Not to mention that he needed to know exactly what happened. He never got a clear answer from anyone, but maybe she could fill in the blanks.

"What's your name again? I don't believe I caught it" the woman asked.

"Kouga. Kouga Azuma" Kouga answered.

The woman gave him a kind but curious look, "Rei Higurashi, Kagome's mother. And I don't believe that my daughter has mentioned a young Mr. Azuma before."

Another thing to add to the mystery that was Kagome. Kouga had to admit that he hadn't given much thought to Kagome's family, he merely assumed that they had died. After all, how many parents would willingly let their young daughter — especially one gifted with reiki — hang around with hanyou and youkai, and potentially end up courting one. It just wasn't how things worked back then, so the simplest solution was just that she had no one else.

Regardless of whether or not she was an orphan, that still left another question. How could she have a family that's still alive five centuries later? He could understand Kagome potentially living for that long if Naraku had something to do with it. But what purpose could extending her family's life have? This was just a potential headache, he could tell.

"It's complicated" Kouga mentally slapped himself for how uncertain he sounded at that moment.

Rei giggled in a way that reminded him so much of Kagome, "I thought there was something different about you. Kagome has mentioned a friend named Kouga. Which would make you a lot more than you appear."

"Depends on what you mean by that" Kouga replied.

"Well, for starters, you're probably a lot older than you look?" Rei said, "My daughter never really went into too much detail into her adventures in the past. But if you helped her then, you're more than welcome here."

"Thank you. I'll remember that" Kouga had to ask, "Though I am kinda confused. I actually came here to see if this really was Kagome, and to find out how she survived so long despite being human. But now… it's getting more complicated than I thought."

"Kagome didn't tell you then."

Kouga looked over at her, "Tell me what?"

"She had mentioned that she wanted to discuss the different times as little as possible to avoid any chance of bad people find out about it, so I guess it makes sense. Don't take it personally, alright" Rei said.

Kouga nodded, "That makes sense. I wouldn't ever fault her that."

Like Kouga could fault her for anything. Kagome had always been his weakness. Hell, all she'd have to do is ask, and he'd give her everything she could ever want. He had changed his packs entire approach to humans all because he didn't want to upset her. Because he couldn't risk upsetting her. And considering he let her slap him without any consequences, he really let her get away with anything she wanted. Who could blame though, she had turned his world upside down.

Rei smiled, "Have you heard of the bone eater's well? On her fifteenth birthday, Kagome fell through it and disappeared. We had been worried for three days until she returned and revealed she had traveled five hundred years into the past. And she continued to do so for a year, until one day she couldn't anymore. That was three years ago."

"Kagome traveled through time?" Kouga paused, "That actually explains a lot."

It explained everything, and Kouga wanted to slap himself with how long it had taken him to realize it. Kagome had traveled all through feudal Japan in a middle school uniform, with a bright pink bike and an obnoxiously yellow bag filled with food and medicines only found in this time period. He even ate out of a bag of chips that definitely couldn't have been made five hundred years ago. Some of the weird scents that occasionally lingered on her could be explained by her traveling through time as well.

"I'm glad you found her. I think it killed her, not knowing what happened" Rei said, "At least this way, there is some closure."

Closure? Right. With magic concealing youkai from human sight and not drawing attention to themselves, Kagome would have no way of knowing whether of not youkai survived long enough for her to see them in her time. If the last time she was seen was after the battle with Naraku, then she wouldn't have any way of knowing what happened to her friends when she had returned to this time. At least now she could finally have that connection once again.

As soon as he entered the house, he noticed photos of Kagome and her family in the hall. He felt himself smile, and continued to carry the groceries despite Rei's instance that she could take care of them. He merely pointed out that with his abilities it was an easy feat, and she conceded until it came time to put things away. That was when he was shooed out. A young boy that had been playing a game on the television had come up help. He looked like he was about middle school age, and eyed him suspiciously.

"Hey mama, who's this?" the young boy asked.

"Souta, don't be rude. This is Kagome's friend" Rei answered.

Souta crossed her arm, "Her friend? Not her boyfriend, right?"

"Not unless I missed something these last couple of centuries" Kouga had a hunch he was going to like this kid.

"Centuries?" Souta's eyes lit up, "Are you a hanyou like Inuyasha."

It seemed like Inuyasha already had a fan. That struck Kouga as weird, Kagome's brother shouldn't really be that attached to the hanyou since they never would have had a chance to met. Though thinking about it, Inuyasha had been acting strange this past decade or so. Kouga made a mental note to interrogate him about this whole thing later. Instead, he just gave an awkward laugh.

"I'm a full youkai" Kouga said.

"Wow, really? That's so cool!" Souta exclaimed.

Rei looked around, "Souta, where is Kagome?"

"She's studying upstairs, I think" Souta answered.

"Kagome! Your friend is here!"

"Coming Mama!"

That voice had Kouga focused in on every little sound that came from upstairs, trying to track Kagome's movement exactly. He felt anxious all of a sudden. It had been so many years, and while Kagome reached out to him, she had no idea that he had planned to come today. So much time had past for both of them, who knew what kind of reaction Kagome would have to him just randomly showing up inside her house? He did not need her thinking he was a creep, especially since his past attempts to court were way to forward for human standards.

When Kagome opened the door and made eye contact with him, the anxiousness he felt was replaced by relief and longing. She stood there, dressed in a cute sweater and a skirt, looking like she had in the past. She really hadn't changed much, although a very stealthy onceover allowed Kouga to notice a few things. Her posture and movements walking suggested she had some formal training in combat since he'd last seen her, and her skirt showcased that she definitely worked out. Not that he was willing to point that out to her face any time soon.

"Kouga?"

Kouga smiled as he fought back tears, "Yo, Kagome."

And like a spell was broken, Kagome went from standing in a doorway to in his arms and clutching his shirt tightly as she hugged him. Kouga pulled her closer, and closed his eyes. This was real. This was Kagome. Still so short compared to him. She was in his arms. Her wonderful scent surrounded him. It felt like he had just woken up from a bad dream. He reluctantly let her pull herself back when wanted to.

"I can't believe it's really you" Kagome smiled through tears of her own, "I mean, I thought it wasn't at first because you looked way too human. And you still do. But I just couldn't risk not seeing if it was you. I'm glad it was you."

"You can't believe it? Can you imagine how confused I was finding you after all this time?" Kouga said.

Kagome looked sheepish at that, "That's a long story. Do you want to go upstairs? To talk about it?"

"Sure."

Kouga wondered for a moment why she felt the need to talk in private about something her family seemed to know about, but decided not to question it. Kagome wanted to get away from her family to talk, and it probably was just because she was worried about what answers he might have for her. The walk upstairs hadn't been as quick as he would've liked, but he figured it would have been rude to surprise her by running her up the stairs himself.

The finally reached their destination, and even before Kagome opened the door, Kouga knew that this was her room from the scent alone. Opening revealed a small, simple room with simple furniture. Books littered a disk in the corner, with more books stacked right beside it along with a cute backpack. Her bed was neatly made, but he couldn't help but notice something on the floor near it. It was mostly obscured, but Kouga could have sworn he saw something lacy. He didn't get a chance to really examine it as Kagome started to fuss about.

"Sorry about the mess" Kagome quickly shoved the something under her bed, "When I study, I kinda forget everything else exists."

Kouga waved off her concern, "It's fine. When you saw my den no one bothered to clean. And you've been a better host than me."

"Well, it helps that neither of us are here against our will" Kagome teased.

"I think I'll take back what I said about being a better host. Teasing your guest isn't that nice" Kouga said.

There wasn't any awkwardness within Kagome as talked with him, and Kouga took it as a blessing. While it was easy to have conversations with her in the past, her getting uncomfortable happened a lot more than he had liked. Kouga had always tried to keep Kagome happy, and he did try to back off when he noticed something upset her, but thanks to his lack of knowledge on humans at the time, he couldn't see the problem. Everything he had done was normal between courting wolves, with some tweaks here and there since he wasn't stupid.

Blending in with humans, however, taught him a lot more about their customs. For starters, he knew he probably treated her better than many human men in that time period would have. But he now knew that her standards had come from a different time period, so the bar was much higher. And while he was correct with certain calls on what not to do (he just couldn't see how dumping a dead rabbit into her arms could well), his instincts on what to do were a bit off.

This was nice. He hoped it stayed that way.

"So, I have a lot of explaining to do" Kagome started.

"You mother explained some of it. A time traveling, schoolgirl and miko" Kouga shook his head, "Honestly, I can't believe I didn't figure it out on my own. You wore your middle school uniform."

Kagome smiled sadly, "I never told anyone how the well worked. Inuyasha, he had a general idea and knew it was between two times. But that was only because he could pass through the well too. Everyone else who knew about the well thought I traveled between worlds. I should have told someone."

Well, Kouga knew of multiple people who would have appreciated the hanyou sharing this information a bit sooner. And he was going to enjoy watching the hanyou try and get himself out of this mess. Kagome's scent was laced with guilt and loneliness, and even though Kouga was starting to get an idea of what happened, he was still ready to start something with Inuyasha. It's funny how no matter what changes, some things always stay the same.

"You wanted to protect your family" Kouga point out.

"Didn't matter in the end. Naraku knew" Kagome replied.

"What happened?"

"When we thought we defeated him, I found myself trapped in a dark place with only the jewel. For three whole days I was tormented by it, told that if I didn't do what it wanted, I would be alone for eternity. When Inuyasha saved me, I thought I was free. But I found myself trapped here. And I was alone in a different way" Kagome answered.

The damn dog was so lucky he was in another country at that moment. Kouga would have cooled off enough to not attempt murder by the time he returned. Kagome had suffered for three whole years, and that wasn't fair to her. But before he could start planning revenge, he shifted attention to comforting Kagome. Three years might be decently long for a human, but grief can last forever.

Kouga placed a hand on her shoulder, "You don't have to be alone anymore. Though I'm guessing you already know that based on your dating profile."

Kagome buried her face in her hands, "I was coerced to make that by my friends."

"I don't know, the pictures I saw were very scandalous" Kouga teased.

"Says the guy who fought against youkai in a fur skirt and leg warmers."

"Says the girl who fought against youkai in a shorter skirt."

"I had bike shorts underneath! What did you have?!"

Kouga gave her a sly look, "What makes you think we wore anything underneath our skirts?"

Kagome squeaked at that remark, and Kouga couldn't help but laugh at the emotions that rolled off of her. That response had only gotten her angry enough to try and beat him with her pillow, but the wolf knew there was more danger in his laughter than her pillow fury. So he let her beat him as much as she needed to, until he couldn't tell if her face was red from embarrassment, rage or the physical exertion. The mood had lightened up, and Kagome wasn't so upset, which made the next part of this easier.

"Kagome" Kouga couldn't believe he was about to open this can of worms so soon, "You haven't asked but... Inuyasha... he's alive."

"What do you mean?" Kagome's tone sounded curious, but the was a fire already ignited in her eyes.

"Before you jump to conclusions, just know that he's not avoiding you. Or at least, not avoiding this you. He mentioned a few years back that he needed to leave Japan for a bit, because if he messed up there would be dire consequences and all that shit. He said that he was coming back in a when it was safe" Kouga replied.

Kagome looked confused, "So, he plans on seeing me, but bad stuff will happen if he does?"

"I think he's trying to stop himself from changing the past and destroying the world. Or running into his past self. Typical movie stuff. But if he's miscalculated when everything happened on this end, then he might think you're still you from the past" Kouga explained.

It did make some sense, despite how furious Kouga was with Inuyasha for keeping secrets. Still, how did he mess up so badly that three years had passed and he still doesn't think that Kagome had gone through everything. What would the dog have done if she had completely moved on, and wanted to forget about everything that had happened in the past? Kouga had too keep his youki in check just thinking about how badly this could have messed with Kagome.

"He doesn't want to undo everything with Naraku. I should have told him the year it was when I had traveled through time" Kagome sighed, "Is it possible..."

"I'll call him. He'll be here as soon as possible, promise" Kouga stated.

Kagome smiled, "Thank you, Kouga. Can I ask you something, though? Something that has been bugging me for the past couple of years?"

Her scent had shifted. Guilt laced it a little, but there was also curiosity, hope, love and a little loneliness. It made it hard to predict what she was going to ask him, and even harder to predict what answer she wanted him to give her. He couldn't imagine lying to Kagome, but he also couldn't imagine being the cause of her pain — emotionally or physically. Then again, so much has been hidden from her for three years. Would it be right to keep her in the dark any longer?

"Anything" Kouga answered.

"Has he found someone else? Romantically?" Kagome asked.

Kouga frowned at that, "He wouldn't be avoiding you for something like that. He's an idiot, but he's not a coward."

"That wasn't what I asked, Kouga" Kagome countered.

"This is something you and him should talk about" Kouga replied.

"So there is someone."

Kouga cringed, "I didn't say that."

"No, but if there wasn't, you wouldn't have needed to avoid the question" Kagome said, "It's alright, Kouga. For so long I worried that he was going to lose himself in despair as he tried to wait for me. I'm glad that's not what happened."

"He'll still drop everything to see you" Kouga said, "You know that, right?"

"Of course he will. He's still Inuyasha" Kagome's smile didn't lack any warmth, "Thank you, Kouga."

* * *

It was early. Very early. So early the sun wasn't going to rise for a couple more hours. Inuyasha had been comfortable, resting in bed with Ayame in his arms after they had tired each other out. They were supposed to wake up late and enjoy a lazy morning together. But that whole planned changed when Inuyasha's phone stated ringing. The fact that it made any noise at all meant that it was Kouga calling, which usually meant it was an emergency. Inuyasha glared at the stupid thing for a few minutes before answering, knowing Ayame was ready to kill to get back to sleep.

_"You fucking asshole! You couldn't fucking mention that Kagome was still alive?!"_

Inuyasha found himself much more alert at that, "Kouga, tell me you didn't see her. You don't realize what you're messing with."

_"Not much, considering she's nineteen and thought a bunch of her friends were dead until a little over an hour ago."_

"That can't be right. Kagome shouldn't have gone through the well yet, she should be way too young" Inuyasha said.

Inuyasha heard Ayame sigh beside him, and watched her slowly start to stretch. He felt himself growing a bit warm from the postures she got, and sent he a glare that he knew really held no weight. Ayame merely continued on with her routine before making her over to the laptop they currently shared. Yeah, Inuyasha knew the plans of a lazy morning sleep-in and breakfast in bed were completely ruined. Ayame was not going to let either of them get back to sleep now.

_"Again, she's nineteen. Dumbass. We've come to the conclusion that you probably got confused. You still could have told me."_

"I didn't want you messing time, alright" Inuyasha groaned, "She's going to fucking kill me. I can't believe I made her wait for three years."

_"If it makes you feel better, she's way to relieved to be properly angry... although... she may kinda know you're not single..."_

Inuyasha nearly broke the phone in his hand, "And how did that come up?"

Ayame sent him a look at that, and he wasn't sure if it was because of his treatment of the expensive device that he was constantly replacing for one reason or another, or if it had to do with his tone and attitude toward Kouga's statement. Playing it safe, he shrugged and mouthed an apology, which had Ayame rolling her eyes and getting back to work with whatever was doing.

_"Don't get snappy, I tried not to say anything. She's just as cunning as usual."_

"Great. That won't complicate things at all" Inuyasha said.

Suddenly the phone was out of his hand and Ayame was speaking, "We'll be in Japan by tomorrow. Okay? Bye bye."

"Wait, Ayame—"

Ayame hung up the phone, and tossed in onto a table nearby before she hopped back into bed. That explained what she was doing, clearly she wanted to get back to Japan as soon as possible. Inuyasha sighed and pulled her closer to him and she allowed him. At least until she shifted to straddle his waist, with a hand reaching up to massage one of his ears. He could feel another part of waking up at that, but he need to talk to her first.

"How do you expect us to get to Japan by tomorrow in Japan's timezone?" Inuyasha asked.

Ayame smiled, "We just won't go the human way. Don't worry, everything is sorted out, there won't be any proof of broken laws. Beside, I want to see Kagome again. But right now, since we're already up, I would really love it if your attention was on me."

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow, "Again, Ayame? Even I'm still tired."

"If you really not up to it, then you can go back to sleep" Ayame gave a coy smile.

Inuyasha smirked, "I said I'm still tired. Not that I'm not up for some fun. You'll just have to do more work for the both of us."


End file.
